Bible Strands
1 Kings 12:25
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The historical narrator records Jeroboam’s actions immediately after the northern tribes obey God’s command to cease hostilities in 1 Kings 12:24. The passage documents Jeroboam’s political consolidation as he relocates his residence and fortifies key locations.
The words — וַ/יִּ֨בֶן (va/i.Yi.ven) means “and he built,” while וַ/יֵּ֣שֶׁב (va/i.Ye.shev) means “and he dwelt.” These consecutive verbs track Jeroboam’s deliberate establishment of Shechem as his administrative center before his departure to Penuel.
The thread — The text records Jeroboam’s construction of Penuel, a site Gideon previously attacked in Judges 8:17 and originally named in Genesis 32:30. The narrative also recalls Judges 8:8, where Gideon’s earlier journey to Penuel meets resistance.
Why it lands — The verse documents a concrete political strategy: Jeroboam fortifies Shechem and Penuel to secure his territory. The reader must observe how human consolidation of power proceeds immediately after divine intervention, demanding attention to the contrast between Jeroboam’s calculated moves and the prior command in 1 Kings 12:24.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
Cross-references
- Judges 8:17 He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
- Judges 8:8 From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.
- Genesis 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
- Judges 9:45 And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
- Judges 9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,
- 1 Kings 9:15 This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
- 1 Kings 9:17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon,
- 1 Kings 12:1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
- 1 Kings 15:17 Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
- 1 Kings 16:24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.